


Late Nights

by notsousefulidiot



Category: Critical Role
Genre: Abandonment, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Insecurity, These two just can't seem to help themselves, a little steamy towards the end, but nothing graphic, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26114398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notsousefulidiot/pseuds/notsousefulidiot
Summary: Percy has been spending more long nights in the workshop, and it makes Vex come to check on him.  She finds out that it isn't his project that is keeping away from their bed for the past week.
Relationships: Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 64





	Late Nights

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first post to the site and I am not great at proofreading, so apologies for any mistakes. I started it at about 3 am yesterday and I decided to share it. I hope someone likes it.

Percy begins to doze at his worktable, the mess of intricate pieces of whatever his mind is set to making jumbled in front of him, but his thoughts are consumed with the fear that tonight is the night. He hates that these thoughts still find their way to the forefront, regardless of the fact that he should know that his fear is unfounded. She wouldn't do that to him. She has told him that too many times to count, and he fears the day when he saw that burden of having to constantly remind him driving her away while she assures him otherwise. _You will drive her away. You are not worthy of her and she will realize that fact one day. Then she will leave when you are down here, hiding from the truth. You are too broken for anyone to love._  
The voice once belonged to the demon that haunted his nightmares after his family's massacre and subsequent escape from the monsters that had destroyed his world. Now, with the demon gone, it is his own voice that fuels these fears, which make the words feel more certain. More true. He can't depend on her bring him back from these thoughts. He recently believes he sees that first crack in her routine, the small signs of hurt that he still didn't believe her when she says that she loves him, and the last thing she would ever do is leave him. That is why he has been spending so many late nights in his workshop, working on her newest gift to apologize for being such a fool and needing her to pull him from these depths he seems more than willing to throw himself into. It was that crack in her resolve, either real or imagined, that was keeping him up tonight.  
The seemingly disparate metal gears and springs are roughly assembled into their final configuration before he plans on fixing them in place, their appearance to anyone would look like nothing but scraps of metal strewn before him. In his terribly imaginative mind, he can already see his creation fully assembled into the intricately crafted music box he plans to give her. He can even hear the tune he had spent 3 days crafting on the small cylinder he was absently spinning between his trembling fingers. It was the first song she had ever heard him sing to himself while he was sketching in his notebook years ago. It was a song his mother would sing to them from time to time before they were put to bed. The thoughts of his mother and the rest of his family take over his mind while he asks the questions that always come to him when he thinks of them for more than a passing moment: _Why did he survive? Why did he have to be the one left? Cassandra deserved to have someone else with her. Someone who could be better to her than he tries and fails to be so often. Maybe Vesper? Oliver? Anyone would have been better than him._ And he knows she thinks the same, even though she may never vocalize it. Sometimes he wishes she would instead of have those looks at him that she thinks he doesn't see. The looks that wonder if it would have been easier if it was any of their other siblings, or if he had stayed dead after his last encounter with Ripley. She was proving to be stronger than him everyday, and once she realized that, he held no illusions that she would ask him to leave.   
He tries to shake away the tidal wave of insecurities and fears, tears welling in the corners of his eyes, and his breathes coming short and shallow. The black thoughts of just how useless he is, and the fear that these women that he depends on for so much of the strength that keeps him going will finally realize that fact and throw him away. 

He can't hold back the tears any longer as he places the cylinder on the table and lets them fall in stunted, quiet heaves. It is at this point that he realizes he isn't alone in his workshop when he feels her hands on him: one gently runs through his hair while the other wraps around his chest and rests just over his heart. 'What is it, dear? More bad dreams?' her voice is soft against his ear, the feel of her breath bringing more comfort to him than she will ever know.   
He fights to regain his composure enough to take her hand at his chest in his own and kiss it gently. His refusal to answer doesn't surprise her, they both have a hard time opening up until they can't keep it bottled up any longer. Vex's other hand fondly runs through his already mussed hair and presses her own kiss just below his ear. He squeezes her hand at the touch and finally speaks, 'No, I have to be asleep first for bad dreams to plague me.'  
He feels her hand tense in his and she presses another kiss to his temple before she rests her chin on his shoulder, 'Darling, you have to sleep sometime. The bed has been awfully empty for the last week, and I'm beginning to think you don't want to come bed because of me.' She tries to make it sound teasing, but she can't hide her own fear that he finally wants nothing more to do to her. She steels herself when she feels his chest hitch at her words, and waits for her worst fear to be realized when he finally manages to reply quietly, 'Quite the opposite, dear. I was just thinking that I would be going upstairs to an empty bed, and you had finally realized you deserve so much better than this broken man.' His hand tenses around hers as he waits to hear the pause, the hesitation followed by the exasperation that she has to reassure him once again.  
The seconds pass unbearably slow when he feels her hand move from his to take the side of his face and turning him toward her. He sees now the signs of her own tears and he immediately hates himself for making her cry. Another sign that he is not good for her, and it would be better if she said enough and left. He deserves nothing less than to be left to wither away alone in his workshop, and she deserves a man that loves her with none of the baggage. She presses her hands lovingly on his cheeks and stares him deep in the eye, that terrifying gaze that had taken down so many creatures focused solely on him.  
'Percy, I will never go anywhere without you by my side. Never again. We spent too much time keeping each other apart, and I don't ever want to feel that way again,' her voice so certain he can't find the hint that he was so sure would be there. He doesn't take his eyes from hers as she continues,' We both have to move passed this because I have my own moments of doubt that you will realize that you can do so much better than me.'  
He laughs at that, in his mind, because to vocalize it would be cruel, and it is his turn to comfort her because that is all he ever wants to do. 'Vex'ahlia, you are far more than I had ever hoped to find in my life. Even before all of the death and vengeance, you are someone I couldn't even dream of meeting. I thank those damnable gods every day that I found you, and I will never stop treasuring every moment we share together.' He brings his hand to her cheek and wipes away the tears that were slowly falling now. 'I hate that I get this way because I should know by now that you love me almost as much as I love you. And it is the fact that I keep getting this way that makes me feel like I will end up pushing you away.'  
She doesn't stifle her own little laugh, a wet chuckle at the release of the hidden tension they both put on one another. He isn't hurt by it, he takes it as a sign that he can relax into her hands. That sweet sound that tells him that 'Yes, you are just as big a fool as you feel right, now.' She smiles in such a way that he never believes he will get used to and kisses him softly on the lips. Softly, at first, but her telltale passion coming through before she pulls away and says sweetly, 'Darling, I will never leave because you can be such an idiot sometimes. If anything, it makes me want to stay even more. You deserve some happiness, and I am so thankful that I can give that to you. You love me terribly, and I can still convince myself that you will toss me aside for some haughty, highborn noblewoman that comes to court you. We both can be truly moronic sometimes, but we are still together.'  
'Dear, I would rather seal that door with me inside than deal with some snobby twit who claims superiority because of her families importance. I told you years ago, I have known people with money, and none are worth you. You are so much more than any of them could ever hope to be,' he takes a play from her and moves to press a firm kiss to her parted lips, letting his own desire to be with her to be known as he deepens it and lets his tongue dance along hers. 'You married a fool, darling, but I will try to be better.' He smirks at this, the slight tick of the corners of her mouth into her own weak smile.  
She moves her hands through his hair and lets her arms fall onto his shoulders as she whispers, ' I'm afraid you did as well, dear, but we will both make ourselves better for it. I love you, you big idiot.' The sweet sound of her laugh echoes against the stone walls of his workshop, and he chuckles along with her. They trail off into silence for a few minutes before she looks to mess on the table in front of him, 'Is this for me, darling? Another apology gift?'  
This woman knows him too well, and that endears her to him all the more as replies, 'Of course, my heart. One benefit to being a colossal dolt: it does spur my imagination on how to make it up to the most wondrous woman on either side of the divine gate.' Vex's cheeks redden slightly as she tucks into his shoulder and waits for him to go on. 'I am almost done with it, so I don't think I will tell you what it is yet. Be prepared to be stunned in the next couple of days, my dear.' Percy wraps his arms around her waist and squeezes her gently. The hours of sleeplessness finally catch up to him as he begins to fade under comforting presence. 'My light, I think I am ready for bed. Would you care to keep this fool company for one more night?'  
Vex smiles wryly and responds with her trademark wit,' Oh, I don't know. I have been rather enjoying taking up the whole bed. When I'm not sharing it some random traveler to keep me warm while you are down here tinkering.' He quirks the corner of his mouth and nods his defeat while he holds her closer. Percy places a line of kisses down the side of her neck to her shoulder, grinning at his own small victory when she lets out a small moan. 'Cheater,' she quips and pulls him up from his stool. 'Don't start anything you can't possibly hope to finish, Percy, given your current state,' that playful challenge managing to perk him.  
'My dear, I would forgo sleep for the rest of my days, if it meant I could spend all of my time between those legs of yours. Or, at least, as long as you would allow me,' he says, his earnest response not at all surprising to her. It does bring that darkened look of lust over her once soft, sweet face, and she begins to pull him to the door and up the stairs to the bedroom.  
'Prove it, my good boy,' as she pushes him inside and closes the door behind them. Neither of them find sleep for hours, as the Lord of Whitestone proves his mettle against his warrior goddess wife until they both collapse into a tangled heap as the sun creeps over the mountains. They both sleep wrapped up in one another, and their minds put away their fears at the comforting reminder of each other's touch.


End file.
